Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Taos Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Our rehabilitation and recovery center in Taos, New Mexico uses only the most effective forms of therapy that have been shown to have positive lasting impacts on drug addicts that help them achieve lasting recovery. One of these effective forms of therapy is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) that is used to help our patients approach their addictions from a different point of view and see in themselves the strengths that they otherwise would not have seen. The goal of all DBT is to help patients live a life worth living, or a life full of things that are meaningful and enjoyable. Spending time with friends and family, developing new talents, engaging in passions and hobbies, and other enjoyable activities are all things that the patient is encouraged to participate in during DBT to promote a healthy lifestyle and replace their negative habits of addiction with positive habits.

What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

The underlying principle of DBT is balancing acceptance of current circumstances with a desire to change the circumstances. The goal of DBT is to reach “target behaviors” that will help the addict make the necessary changes in their lives to overcome addiction forever. It is easier to understand what DBT is when each word is explained individually:

The word dialectical is a philosophical word that refers to two things that seem to be opposites, but they can both exist simultaneously. For example, accepting where one is at on their journey to addiction recovery while also understanding that they need to make more changes in their lives to make more progress toward conquering their addiction. In other words, one hand, we recognize that we are improving and taking steps in the right direction and are proud of what we have accomplished and on the other hand, we know that where we are at is not enough, and in order to recover fully from addiction we need to keep moving forward.

The behavior part of DBT refers to the choices people have made that led them to become an addict, the choices they are currently making to change their lives, and the choices they will need to make for the rest of their lives to promote a fulfilling life free of the pains of addiction. Our therapists work together with their patients to set and work toward “target behaviors,” which are behaviors that the addict must start doing or stop doing to help them progress toward recovery.

The final part of DBT is the therapy. During their stay at our facility, our trained and experienced therapists work together with patients to set and work toward “target behaviors,” as stated above. The therapists walk the patients through the history of the patient’s life and help them to understand what choices have led them to where they are now. What factors influenced them to first abuse substances, why they have been unable to quit, and where they want their lives to be in relation to their recovery process are a few important things that the therapist discusses with the patient. They then help the addict come to terms with the choices they made in the past and where their lives are now and then work with them to change their behavior in the necessary ways to overcome their addiction.

Providing Dialectical Behavior Therapy to Our Patients

We integrate DBT in some way into almost every aspect of our program, including:

Individual therapy. This is when our therapists work one-on-one with the addict, discussing their past and current behaviors, setting “target behaviors,” and helping them reach those target behaviors.

Skills groups. In these groups, patients are taught new skills that will help them change their behavior, cope with their emotions in healthy ways, communicate with their therapists, each other, their friends, and their family members in effective ways, and other skills that help to make their life a life worth living.

Let Us Help You

(800) 203-8249

If you or a loved one live near Taos, New Mexico and are fighting with addiction, please don’t fight it alone. We have the resources you need to overcome your negative behaviors and win the fight against addiction. Call us today and let us help you reclaim your life and live a life that is truly worth living.

Taos Recovery Center

Our Location

Reviews & Testimonials

See what people are saying about us.

There aren't enough words to express how thankful I am with Shadow Mountain and the treatment they gave to me, what I lived there is something I won't be able to live anywhere else, everything there was great and everything helped me to become who I am now.

Rehab.com

This place saved my life. There's no other way to put it. I would have lost my life to my addiction if I had not chosen Shadow Mountain in Taos. I am grateful every day that I decided on this place. I had been to inpatient rehabilitation centers before, and this is by far the best that I've been to. Everybody that works there understands and cares about what the clients are going through. The area is absolutely beautiful. There are plenty of activities to join in on. And the recovery scene in Taos is incredible. It is not an easy program, but it is life saving.

Daniel Terrazas

Shadow Mountain Recovery

Shadow Mountain Recovery is a modern, innovative healthcare organization offering a path to recovery to those suffering with substance use and mental health disorders.